This practice is about paying attending to the beginning and ending of the breath, or a thought, feeling or physical sensation.
Paying attention to the beginning, before the next moment fully forms, trains the mind to be open to different possibilities, and then the final exhale directs the mind to let go, to appreciate impermanence.
Beginnings and endings shape everything we do in life. The way we enter a conversation, start a project, or step into a new phase of life. The way we bring closure, let go, pause and transition to what’s next.
What if we practiced honoring these moments with presence? Not rushing past them, but truly noticing.
A Valley Life This, William Stafford
Sometimes you look at an empty valley like this,
and suddenly the air is filled with snow.
That is the way the whole world happened—
there was nothing, and then…
But maybe some time you will look out and even
the mountains are gone, the world become nothing
again. What can a person do to help
bring back the world?
We have to watch it and then look at each other.
Together we hold it close and carefully
save it, like a bubble that can disappear
if we don’t watch out.
Please think about this as you go on. Breath on the world.
Hold out your hands to it. When mornings and evenings
roll along, watch how they open and close, how they
invite you to the long party that your life is.
Guide: Noelle Lim
Image credit: Chen Ur, Unsplash
Kindermind Center 